An Ever Fixéd Mark Read Online Free PDF Page A

“Considering you have to
talk about the bed and the chair in this room.”
    “I don’t have to talk about the chair.”
    “Yes, you do, Lizzie. It’s a valuable
piece.”
    “Tell that to the mice,” Lizzie laughed, but
saw that Paula wasn’t amused. “Hey – are you going to Andrew’s
Christmas party next week?”
    “I…” Paula glanced over her glasses. “I’m
not really into parties.”
    “Andrew and Davis throw a nice celebration.
You should come.”
    “I’ll think about it,” Paula looked back at
the portrait.
    “I’ll need a buffer from all of Davis’
friends,” Lizzie entreated, though not able to articulate the name
of the one she hoped wouldn’t be there with his wife.
    “We should probably head downstairs, before
the tour comes through the bedrooms,” Paula suggested and met
Lizzie’s eye with a knowing glance. Paula had been a good sport
listening to her crooning about Will and had the graciousness to
drop the subject when Lizzie no longer believed the fairy tale.
    “Yeah,” Lizzie made one last swipe down the
bedpost and glanced back at the portrait. She got a brief chill
across her shoulders and realized she was standing in the draft
from the window. Perhaps it was just the shine of the paint.
     
    *****
     
    Lizzie turned the lock on the gift shop door
and went back to the reception desk. Andrew counted the last of his
pennies and added it to the tally of the day’s take. Lizzie waited
in silence for him to figure his math. “Not bad for such a slow
day,” Andrew shrugged looking up at her.
    “We had some Christmas shoppers when you
were on your tour,” Lizzie explained.
    “Ah,” Andrew nodded and shut the register.
“Well, let’s close this joint.”
    “Paula is still in her office,” Lizzie
reached for her coat on the hook behind the desk.
    “She should be down soon,” Andrew wrapped
his scarf around his neck. “Do you have a hot date tonight,
Lizzie?”
    “Hardly,” she laughed. “You?”
    “Davis and I are going to the movies. That
French film that’s got all the buzz,” Andrew buttoned up his coat.
“Are you seriously doing nothing, Lizzie? I can’t believe that with
all the new attention you seem to be getting.”
    Lizzie bit on her lip, letting her cheeks
flush. “I’m just hanging out with Meg and Nora tonight,” she said
cautiously.
    “What about that doctor?”
    Lizzie lifted her shoulders and looked
helpless towards an offer of information. “We aren’t dating.”
    “We’ll have to find you someone at the party
next week.”
    “Oh God, please don’t,” Lizzie rolled her
eyes.
    “You spent all that time and effort to make
yourself look this good and yet you still hide yourself away like a
nun,” Andrew shook his head.
    “Not exactly,” Lizzie’s cheeks burned,
thinking of the previous weekend and Ben Cottingham. That certainly
wasn’t nun-like behavior.
    “So there is someone?”
    “There isn’t some ONE,” Lizzie emphasized.
“I’m enjoying a few non-committal partnerships.”
    “Aha, that’s more like it,” Andrew chuckled
as Paula came into the gift shop.
    “Everything all set down here?”
    “I closed out the register,” Andrew nodded.
“Lizzie closed the house.”
    “All right,” Paula went behind the desk to
look over the paperwork and put a sheet of paper on the desk.
“Lizzie, I went through the files. That’s a copy of a letter
written by Harriet.”
    “What?” Lizzie edged back towards the
desk.
    “The only thing we have from her. It’s not
much… but maybe it could give you a little more insight to her
glassy stare,” Paula smiled at her.
    Lizzie picked up the letter and read it,
with Andrew glancing over her shoulder.
    “My dearest Lotty,
    I am sorry that you had to leave and return
to New York so suddenly. It was a dear pleasure to have you with us
in Cambridge this season. Mother regrets your absence at the dinner
table. Your conversation was a lively distraction from Father and
Peter’s